Flight Restrictions at O'Hare Airport

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has extended a cap on flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport for two years.

Last March, the F-A-A extended the flight caps at O'Hare until October 28th. In addition to the newly extended cap, the agency Thursday announced a lottery system offering new airlines a chance to operate at O'Hare should the limits be raised.

Officials say the F-A-A would only raise the cap, now at 88 arrivals per peak hour, if its semiannual review of O'Hare operations shows that doing so would not increase delays.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that several airlines are objecting to the F-A-A's decision on grounds that it gives unfair preference to carriers with limited or no flights at O'Hare.

But F-A-A spokesman Tony Molinaro says the system was established to encourage competition that could benefit airline passengers.

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